Bosses of the high-speed rail route say a proposed direct rail link from London to Bordeaux could stop in Kent.

Hopes of the recently launched Eurostar route direct to Amsterdam stopping at either Ashford or Ebbsfleet international stations were dashed, but HS1, which operates the stations and track, says no decision has yet been made on the proposed French route.

Talks are at an "advanced" stage about a service which would whisk passengers from St Pancras to Bordeaux, the wine-growing region of south west France, in less than five hours.

Speaking to the KentOnline, a spokesman for HS1 said: "The new route will use High Speed 1.

"There is, from our perspective, capacity at any of the stations on the line, but where a train starts from and where it calls will ultimately be a decision for the future train operator."

It is hoped the new direct route would allow an operator of the service to take on the low-cost airlines, which currently fly 1.2 million passengers a year to the region from London.

High-speed international trains will reach speeds of up to 200mph between the two cities.

HS1 says the railway operators are working on pre-planned and agreed timetable slots and train routes, meaning that a new international train operator will be able to get the route up and running sooner rather than later.

The spokesman added: "There are, of course, a couple of elements to work out such as security and border arrangements, but we believe with the right commitment and support from the UK and French government this cooperation between the infrastructure managers means that a direct service could be up and running within the next couple of years."

Dyan Crowther, chief executive of HS1 Ltd, said: “As we’ve seen with the recent introduction of the Eurostar London-Amsterdam service, there’s a real demand for international train services to provide a comfortable and better-connected service, especially for leisure journeys.

“This is the first time that railway operators have collaborated in this way and saves the train operator having to do a lot of legwork."

The four railway operators along the proposed route, HS1 Ltd, Lisea, Eurotunnel and SNCF Réseau met in Bordeaux recently to discuss developing Gare de Bordeaux-Saint-Jean to facilitate international departures.

HS1 says it is also in discussions with operators to destinations including Frankfurt and Geneva.